Hospital shows upgrades

Improvements include waiting, recovery rooms

TONASKET  North Valley Hospital hosted an open house Friday to unveil its revamped surgical center to the public.

The second-floor surgery center has been under construction at North Valley Hospital, 203 S. Western Ave., since 2010.

North Valley Hospital Chief Executive Officer Linda Michel said the hospital went through a “very, very long journey getting here.

“But every frustration or roadblock we went past was worth this very moment to me,” she said.

The facility’s upgrades include adding dedicated waiting rooms and recovery rooms for patients, offering more privacy and more efficient care from the hospital’s standpoint, Business Development Coordinator Terri Orford said.

The surgery center also has more patient exam rooms “We’re able to have two specialists in house, where before we were juggling to fit one at a time,” Orford said. “The other great thing is that physicians have their own offices.”

The surgery center was completed a few months ago, but Friday was an opportunity to show community members the final product. The open house featured tours of the new facilities, after hospital officials discussed not just the remodeling project, but the hospital staff, as well.

Orford said she gave birth to her son four months ago at North Valley Hospital.

“It was a joyous day for me,” she said. “It felt as though my family was delivering my son and I was very impressed with the care I was provided.”

Michel said the upgrades are an important step in continuing to provide health care at a rural hospital.

“We are committed to continue our journey to provide high-quality care in local communities and in addition, keep focusing on what we contribute to that cause every day.”